Detachable body for children&#39;s tricycles



Nov. 17, 1925- W. A. MORRILL, JR

DETACHABLE BODY FOR CHILDREN'S TRIGYCLES Filed Sept. 15. 1924 Patented Nov. 17, 1925.

'WILLIAM A. MOB/BILL, JR., OF WENONAH, NEW'J'ERSEY.

DETACHABLE BODY FOR CHILDRENS TRICYCLES.

Application filed September 15, 1924. Serial-No. 737,671.

To all 107mm it may concern:

Be it known that I, WILLIAM A. MoRRILL, J12, a citizen of the United States, residing at Wenonah, county of Gloucester, State of New Jersey, have invented a new and useful Detachable Body for Childrens Tricycles, of which the following is a specification. 7 I

. My invention relates to a novel construe tionof a detachable body for childrens tricycles, which can be readily adapted to small tricycles and which when installed. in position gives the vehicle the appearance of a miniature automobile having a body provided with a front hood and rear chassis, which latter if desiredcan be equipped with hooks adapted to support a miniature ladder, and hand rails can also be provided so that a second child can occupy the chassis and stand within the rear portion of the chassis behind the driver thereof.

It further consists of a novel manner of securingthe front or hood member to the steering column of the tricycle, and a novel manner of securing the rear of the chassis member upon the rear axle.

It further consistsof a novel construc tion of rear U shaped supporting arms,

which are adapted to have one member thereof supported upon the rear axle of the tricycle and their outermembers secured to longitudinally extending. angle irons or the like, 'which extend longitudinally of the body attachment at either side thereof.

It further consists in a novel manner of bracing and reinforcing the front, rear and sides of the detachable body, so that a very rigid and durable construction is produced. which can be installed -without the aid of skilled labor and by the child owning the tricycle, if desired. a v 1 v j 'It furtherconsists of other novel features of construction and advantage, all as will be hereinafter fully pointed out in the specification and claims appendedhereto. V

For the purpose of illustratingmy invention, I have shownin the accompanying drawings forms thereof which are at present preferred by. me, since they will give in practice satisfactory and reliable results,although it is to be understood that the various instrumentalities of which my invention consists can be variously arranged and organized and that myinvention is not limited to the precise arrangement and organization ofthese instrumentalities as herein shown and described.

Figure 1 represents, a side elevation of a detachable body for a childs tricycle, em-

bodying my invention.

Figure 2 represents, a front elevation of Fig. 1.

Figure 3 represents, a rear elevation of Fig. 1.

, Figure 41 represents, a perspective View of the U shaped frame, whereby the front steering column.

body or hood member is secured to the Figure 5 represents a perspective view.

showing a portion of the angle iron, rear axle inverted U-shaped frame and the manner of assembling these parts.

Similar numerals of reference indicate corresponding parts.

Referring to the drawings In carrying. out my invention I .take a childs tricycle 1 which comprises the large front wheel 2, the front axle 3, the fork" 4, the steering column 5, the handle bars 6, the rear reach 7, the rear axle 8,Iand the small rear wheels 9, which may be of any usual or conventional type, and I attach thereto vor support thereon, the detachable body 10, which is provided with the front wall 11, as seen in Fig. 2, which may be painted or otherwise decorated so as to simulate an automobile radiator. The vertical walls 12 and the top of the front hoodmember extend rearwardly from the radiator portion 11 and are provided with the rear band or reinforce 14. Againstthe inner walls of the front hood member are secured by :riveting, welding, brazing, or

other. means, at each side the pendant arms 15 of the frame 16, which is provided with the top transverse member 17, from which projects the rearwardly extending arm- 18,

which is provided with a clip or clamping device 19, which engages the steering column 5 and is clamped thereon, by means of a bolt 20 or the like. 21 designates a pair of longitudinally extending angle irons which are secured in any suitable .manner to the lower inner surface'of the front or hoodi member of the body and to the rear lower inner surface of the walls 22, which constitute the rear or chassis member 23. The chassis member 23, is supported; from or upon the rear axle 8, by the U shaped frames 24, best seen in Figs. 3 and 5, each of said frames being provided with the inner member or pendant arm which terminates in the bearings 26 mounted on the rear axle 8, while the outer or shorter members27 of said frames have their lower ends 28 threaded and passed through the holes :29 in the horizontal longitudinally extending beams or angle irons 21, said threaded ends being held in position by nuts or other suitable fastening devices 3-0. The rear of chassis 223 is provided with the lower transverse brace 31, and the front of the hood member is provided with the front lower transverse brace 32 best seen in Fig. 2. The rear body portion or the chassis member 23 may be provided on each side with the upwardly extending arms 33, by which the hand rails 34: on each side are supported. The rear sides of the chassis member 23 may be provided with hooks 35 from which a miniature ladder 86 is suspended and I also provide upper hooks 37 upon which a hose nozzle or other suitable implement 38 may be carried. The hood portion of the body may also be provided with a bell 39, which can'be sounded by the connection 40 and in proximity to the sides of the hood may be supported miniature lamps 41, as seen in Figs. 1 and 2.

It will be seen from the foregoing that both the front or hood member and the rear or chassis member, which are preferably made of sheet iron or the like are rigidly supported and reinforced at each side of their lower portions by the longitudinally extending angle irons 21 and the front rear cross braces 31 and 32. The rear portion of the hood member is effectively braced and reinforced by the members 15 and 17' of the frame 16, which latter is rigidly clamped to the steering column 5 of the tricycle. The chassis member 23 is open at its rear and top, as'will be understood from Fig. 3, so that a small child can stand therein upon the rear axle 8 and support himself safely within the chassis by grasping the side rails 34. The rear or chassis portion of the detachable body is readily secured in position by the frames 24, as will be understood from Figs. 3 and 5. The side walls of the detachable body are cut out as indicated on the lines 42 and 43, see Fig. 1, so as to permit the rider to have access to the seat 44, in mounting or, dismounting from the vehicle.

It will consequently be seen from the foregoing that I have provided a novel means for enabling a small childs tricycle to be equipped at a slight expense with the front and rear detachable body portion, simulating' the hood and chassis of a miniature automobile, which can be readily attached to the steering column and to the rear axle respectively, by the child himself or by unskilled labor. The sides of the detachable body can be painted to simulate a fireengine, fire patrol or any other desired type of vehicle and when the detachable body part is assembled with respect to the tricycle, it will form a unitary construction therewith and will be rigid and durable under all conditions of use, as is evident. In case it is desired for the miniature auto- I mobile produced by my invention to be used as a fire patrol, I can equip the same with a hose 4A, having its ends supported in clips 45 as seen in Figs. 1' and 3. The ends 46 and 47 of the hose 4%, can be connected up with a water supply and with the hose nozzle 38, so that-the child using the miniature automobile can manipulate a stream of water in simulation of putting out a fire. By the provision of the threaded portions 28 on the U-shaped frames 24, I am enabled by the manipulation of the nuts 30 to adjust the body attachment vertically to tricycles of varying sizes and the clamping member 19 can also be adjusted vertically whereby one standard body attachment may be adapted to and attached to tricycles of different dimensions.

It will now be apparent that I have devised a novel and useful construction in a detachable body for childrens tricycles which embodies the features of advantage enumerated as desirable in the statement of the invention and the above description, and while I have, in the present instance, show-n and described preferred embodiments thereof which will give in practice satisfactory and reliable results, it is to be under stood that the same are susceptible of modification in various particulars without departing from the spirit or scope of the invention or sacrificing any of its advantages.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is new and useful and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. The combination of a childs tricycle, having a steering column and a rear axle, a detachable body therefor, comprising a front hood member enclosing the top and front sides of the tricycle and a rear chassis member, connections from said hood member to said steering column, and supporting devices for said chassis member carried by the rear axle of the tricycle, there being a space between said hood member and chassis member, and a seat located within said space upon the tricycle frame.

2. A detachable body for a childs tricycle, embodying a front hood member, a reinforcing frame attached to the rear of said hood member and providedwith a rear wardly extending arm, having a clamp for attachment to a tricycle steering column, a rear chassis portion and a plurality of rear connecting-frames, having arms,'one of said arms being supported upon the rear axle of the tricycle and the other arm being adjustably connected to a portion of the chassis.

3. The combination of a childs tricycle, having a steering column and a rear. axle, with a detachable body, comprising a front hood portion and a rear chassis portion, a connection from the hood portion having a clamping device forming an adjustable connection with said steering column, longitudinally extending beams, secured to the inner lower surfaces of said body, and connections intermediate said rear axle and beams and adjustably connected to said beams for supporting said chassis.

4. A detachable body for a childs tricycle, comprising a front hood member, a rear chassis member, longitudinally extending beams attached to the lower portion of said members, a rearwardly extending arm attached to said hood, and having a clamp thereon, and a pair of rear fastening deing beams attached to the lower portion of said members, va rearwardly extending arm attached to said hood, and having a clamp thereon, and a pair of rear fastening devices, having one of their ends adjustably connected to said beams, clips carried by said body, and a hose extending transversely of said body and having its ends supported in said clips.

WILLIAM A. MORRILL, JR. 

